Green Tea Face Mask, Scrub & Toner

Evidence has suggested that people who drink green tea on a regular basis have a lower risk of developing heart disease, stomach problems, and even some types of cancer. Green tea is anti-bacterial and full of antioxidants, making it a beneficial drink with excellent healing properties, but did you know you can also use it topically on your skin?

In this post I'll be describing how to create your own home-made green tea face mask, scrub and toner. Using these on a regular basis is a great natural way to help your skin appear brighter and healthy. As green tea is antibacterial and high in antioxidants, it has the ability to treat acne prone skin with great results. It is also soothing for the skin, so would be highly beneficial for anyone suffering from dry skin, or any skin allergies/rashes. Green tea will also help to brighten the complexion, helping achieve an overall brighter look and even helping to banish dark under eye circles or dark pigmentation marks.

Green Tea Face Mask

• Brew one green tea bag in a mug for about five minutes.
• Remove tea bag from mug and allow it to rest until cool. (You can run it under a cold tap for a minute to speed up the process)
• Cut open the tea bag and empty the crushed wet leaves into a small bowl.
• Add some organic honey in to make a paste (optional)
• Apply to face and leave on for twenty minutes

Green Tea Facial Scrub

• Brew a mug of green tea
• Get a small bowl and pour in 4 teaspoons of green tea
• Add 1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar 
• Next, add 7 teaspoons of sugar
• Add 1 teaspoon honey (preferably Manuka Honey, but the regular organic kind is fine too!)
• Mix ingredients together well and apply to face with cotton pad or fingers
• Massage the scrub around your face in gentle circular motions for a few minutes
• Rinse off with water to reveal beautifully smooth skin

Green Tea Toner

• Fill a small plastic spritzer bottle with brewed green tea
• Allow to cool in the fridge
• Spritz on your face after cleansing or anytime you want to freshen your face during the day
• You can also make this using 2 parts green tea to 1 part rosewater (my favourite home-made toner!) 

The great thing about these green tea beauty tricks is that they are simple to make and cost next to nothing to create! It's also a great excuse to start drinking green tea. I find it quite bitter so I generally add a small teaspoon of honey to sweeten the taste a little!

So, why not pick up some green tea and give these D.I.Y. beauty creations a go!

Sinéad

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Tea Bags & Bright Eyes

Where would us Irish folk be without our tea? Pretty lost I would say! I've been looking forward to writing this post as I know most people will be able to try out this remedy. The majority of people will have tea bags hiding somewhere in their kitchen, so if you're suffering from the dreaded puffy eye look, or simply want to perk up and brighten the eye area, then get brewing!

How do tea bags help to brighten the eye area?
As you may have noticed, a lot of creams and serums marketed for the eye area contain caffeine. This is because caffeine has the ability to shrink the blood vessels around our eyes, therefore reducing puffiness and dark circles. Tea bags also contain tannins, antioxidants which are believed to reduce swelling, calm and brighten the area, and stimulate blood circulation. When trying out this remedy, make sure the tea bags you use contain caffeine for optimum results.

Step 1:
Brew two tea bags in a mug of hot water for five minutes.

Step 2:
Remove tea bags from cup and place on a saucer. I like to pop mine into the freezer for about ten minutes so that they're nice and chilled.

Step 3: 

Take tea bags out of the freezer and gently squeeze any excess water that may be on them. Then simply lie back and place one tea bag over each closed eye and relax. Leave them on for about fifteen minutes.

It's great to try this first thing in the morning or before a night out as it really does perk up the eye area for a while. And taking the ten/fifteen minutes to lie back and relax is a great way to de-stress for the day/night ahead.

Happy Brewing!

Sinéad

Rosewater

Rosewater is my absolute favourite skincare discovery of the year! I've just ordered two more bottles online as I can't get over how much this has helped my skin. I'm always a little sceptic about things until I see the results for myself, and this is now one of my most reached for skincare products. Rosewater is a wonderfully gentle and natural product with fabulous skin-enhancing benefits. Many products you own will have it listed as an ingredient, but using it by itself is where you'll really see it's magic at work.

Finishing off a natural cleanse

Recently, I have been cleansing with oil (See here and here), which leaves a residue on the skin. Washing your face with water won't remove this, as oil and water separate, so I had been removing this residue with a gentle cleanser. However, using this cleanser was obviously moving away from natural skincare, so I didn't feel too good about that. But at last I found a solution - Rosewater! After I remove my make-up with an oil of choice, I simply spray rosewater on a cotton pad and wipe it all around my face, which gets rid of all the oily residue. Afterwards, you can simply rinse your face with plain old water and voilà, a completely natural cleanse!

Moisturising Toner

After I cleanse my face in the AM and PM, I rinse with water and then spritz rosewater over a wet face. The natural oils in rosewater will trap moisture in the skin, so this is great if you suffer from any dryness on your face. It also closes the pores, making it ideal for use after a cleanse. Who needs harsh alcohol filled toners that strip your skin when you can use this magic stuff! Rosewater also regulates the oil production of skin so it's also great if you have an oily complexion.

Refreshing spritz

I like to keep my bottle of rosewater in the fridge and then spray it on my face throughout the day whenever I feel like some refreshment! It's super hydrating, nourishing and light on the skin. Plus it won't won't mess up any make-up you might have applied. This would be especially lovely in hot weather or after exercise. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it has the ability to reduce redness from irritated or over-heated skin.

Make-up setting spray

Rosewater has become really popular as a setting spray for make-up. After you have applied your foundation/powder, give your face a couple of light sprays. This will help to keep your make-up in place throughout the day. It will also create a lovely dewy glow on the skin, giving you a fresh youthful complexion.

Good for irritated eyes

I have read so much about how rosewater has the ability to calm and sooth irritated eyes. So recently when my boyfriend's hay fever was hitting in full force, I decided to test this theory! His eyes were very red and itchy, which was causing him some pain. I sprayed two cotton pads with lots of chilled rosewater and placed them over his closed eyes for about 5 minutes. And it worked! The irritation calmed down almost immediately.

Anti-Stress

The smell of roses seems to be something people either love or loathe. Personally I love it, as it brings me back to when I was a really young child in my Grandfather's rose garden in Dublin. The aroma of roses is thought to be a powerful mood enhancer. It can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and promotes emotional well-being. This makes it ideal for use before bed time, as it can help to de-stress the mind and help you to relax into a nice slumber!

I haven't been able to find it in any Galway stores, so I've been purchasing it online from The Health Store, an Irish website that I love which sells lots of natural skincare products.

Happy Spritzing!

Sinéad

Stinging Nettle Tea

The first time I heard of someone drinking stinging nettle tea, all I could think of was how unpleasant it must taste. I couldn't have been more wrong, as it's simply delicious and definitely my new favourite drink, I'm addicted!
The stinging nettle has been used medicinally for centuries. It's extremely rich in minerals, with 10 grams of nettle containing 290 milligrams of calcium and 86 grams of magnesium. For the sake of comparison, the same amount of spinach would contain about 10 milligrams of calcium and 8 milligrams of magnesium. Nettle tea provides so many health benefits that I could not even fit them all in one blog post. Instead, I will concentrate mainly on how drinking this tea can help us to have beautiful healthy skin.

Acne
Stinging nettle tea works to cleanse your skin from the inside by addressing any problems that may be occurring in the blood. It helps to remove excess toxins in the blood stream, allowing the skin to more effectively cleanse itself. If you suffer from acne, then give this tea a try. Drink 1-3 cups a day and along with a healthy diet, you should notice a definite improvement in your skin in a couple of weeks. This tea also helps to balance a woman's hormonal system which can improve the skin. Often, acne can be a sign of unbalanced hormones, especially if it mainly occurs around the chin and jaw line.

Eczema/ Skin Allergies
Consuming nettle leaf tea on a regular basis can also help to alleviate symptoms of eczema and any problems with dry skin. The leaves and stem of the plant are covered with tiny hairs that release chemicals when touched. This is what is referred to as the nettle's "sting." These same chemicals, when ingested can reduce the inflammation in the body that cause eczema, as well as the painful and itchy symptoms that go along with it.

Digestive Aid (A healthy gut = healthy skin)
Drinking this tea can really help with any digestive issues. When consumed regularly, nettle tea is effective at reducing symptoms of acid reflux, nausea, colitis and coeliac disease. A healthy gut is one of the most important things we can strive towards to improve our skin. In a previous post about Apple Cider Vinegar, I wrote about how drinking it as a tonic can also help you to have a happy tummy, therefore helping the skin too.

Other benefits

• Stimulates the lymph system to boost immunity

• Supports the kidneys

• Helps with menstrual cramps and bloating

• Combats anemia and fatigue (High in iron)

• Helps to reduce symptoms of hay fever and other allergies

You can make nettle tea by actually just picking nettle leaves and brewing them in boiling water. Just make sure to wear some thick gloves so you don't get stung! I prefer to just buy mine as they are quite low in price. I drink 2-3 cups a day and absolutely love the taste! I let the tea bag brew for about 5 mins. Again, Holland & Barret and Evergreen are my usual choices, but you'll find nettle tea in any health food store.

Sinéad